Selector mechanism.



E. B. CRAFT & A. P. DIXON.

SELECTOR MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JAN.11, 190s.

1,081, 368, Patented Dec. 1'6, 19%

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

5 HEBTssH EET 2.

E. B. CRAFT p A. F. DIXON. SELECTOR MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED .TAN.11,1908.

frac/erai'ars 152mm; 13' Cfrm zg (i; 2206 1: j7 $070. 1? 7W wdizesseax E. B. CRAFT & A. F. DIXON. SELECTOR MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1908.

1,081,368; Patented Dec. 16,1918

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'l iiM Mn l @mww

E. B. CRAFT & A. F. DIXON.

SELECTOR MECHANISM.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 11, 1908.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E. B. CRAFT & A. F. DIXON.

SELECTOR MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.11, 1908.v

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWABD IB. CRAFT AND M03 1:. DIXON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOBS TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

' SELECTOR mnom rsn.

A s ec men of remn'ramt, t nt 1 191 Applicatlonfilcdianuary ll,1908; Serial Io. 410,320.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, EDWARD B. GItAFT and Amos F. DIXON, citizens of the Unlted States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Selector Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to aselec-tor mechanism particularly adapted for use in socalled automatic or semi-automatic telephone exchange systems. U a

' The invention has especial reference to a type of selector-in which the electromagnets which respond to the electrical selecting impulses or currents instead of being re uired themselves to perforin.the work of a vancing the movable switch member of the selector, act merely to adjust light and easily moved controller parts which set a stop to determine the limit-of travel of the switch. member, power being then applied, as by a magnetic clutch, to carry such switch member to the point so selected.

The principal' feature of this invention lies in the provision of two or more selectively-adjustable controller parts which by their relative positions, determine the setting of the stop, a cooperating member being arranged to be governed by the combination thus set up, to limit the operation of the power-driven switch. More specifically, it is contemplated that these controller parts may have males'thereon with differently-spaced divisions, like those of a Vernier, the first point of coincidence of the scales being the determining factor in the setting of the stop. The two controller parts may be, for exam- 40 ple, rotatably-adjustable disks arranged side by side, said disks having notches on their 45. disks according as ed es spaced apart different distances on the dii erent disks; and a pawl or rider may be arranged-to travel afiound the edges of t ese t e movable switch member of the selector is advanced over its terii'iihals- The pawl will be ada ted to drop into the notches of the disks at the first point of coincidence thereof, andin so doing will actuate a stop-switch to throw of the clutch or otherwise arrest the advance, of the switch member. The stop -setting or controller arts bei'n light and easily moved require lttle mec anical work tobe done by the magnets which respond to the selecting imway the various elements of a com lete pulses; and the setting of the stop accord. mg to their relative positions, on the prin-.

ciple of a vernier or combination-lock, makes it possible to determine a verywide ran of travel of the switch byexceedingly sli ght selectihg movements or adjustments of these parts. I

the plan above outlined, we have furt er made various detail improvements which can best be understood by reference to the In constructing a selector mechanism u on accompanyingdrawings illustrating one of many forms or specific embodiments of our invention.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustratin' the principal operating parts of a se ector switch, thisdiagram not being intended to show actual shapes or proportions of the parts, but only to indicate in a schematic final selector or connector, an in general, their relations to each other; 'Fig. 2

1s a side view of the opi'ating mechanism,

the'side of the. supportmg frame being removed; F gr3 is a front view thereof; Fig. 4 IS a sectional view, the section being taken on the line of the central shaft; Fig. 5 is a detail view of the stepping and holding mechanism forv the. vernier controller-disks; Fig. 6 is an edge or front view of the parts shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a detail view of the two step ing pawls carried by the armture lever o the stepping magnet; Fig.8 is a detail perspective view of the two holding 'pawls for the adjustin -ratchets of the vernier controller-disks; ig. 9 is a detail view showing the parts which directly actuate the 'stop switch that opens the circuits vof the magnetic clutch; Fig. 9' is a detail ed e view of'the clutch release switch springs; ig. 10

rod 50 isby a flexible steel ribbon 54 from the,carr1ersheave'71 of the -operating terminals in their path.

The operating shaft 7 7 which carries the switch-moving sheave 71 is arranged to be rotated under control of a clutch magnet 70, by a power-shaft 72, to cause the brushcarrier 50 to advance its brushes to the point predetermined by the electromagnetic stopsetting mechanism which responds to the shaft 72, and the other upona tubular "operating shaft 77 carrying the sheave 71', are adapte to be drawn into engagement by the clutch magnet acting 'onplate 81, which is of iron. W hen said clutch magnet is excited, the carrier sheave will be ro-; tated and the contact brushes advanced to the predetermined stopping point by power applied through said clutch members.

The stop setting mechanism, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6, comprises two vernier controller disks 73, 74-, mounted side by side, said disks having peripheral notches adapted to be engaged by a pawl 75 which is carried forward around the edges of said disks as the brush carrier moves from its zero position. This pawl 75 is carried by a disk 76 which is mounted upon the tubular shaft 77 of the carrier-pulley .71 so as to rotate therewith. Said disk 7 6 is provided with ratchet teeth to be engaged by a retaining pawl 89 adapted to be brought into service by the holding magnet 91. Side by side with the disks 73, 74 is a third disk 78 having notches around its edge soaspaced that the travel of the pawl 75 from one of these notches to thenext will correspond to a movement of the selectorbrushes from one set of stationary terminals to the next. The pawl '75 is normally held out of engagement with the notches of disk 78 by the disks 73, 74: upon which it rides; butwhen it reaches a point at which the notches of said. disks 73, 74k coincide, it falls'in, en-

a 'es the corresaonding notch of disk 78 and slightly rotates said disk. This slight movement of disk 78 is caused to actuate a set of switch springs-.79 by which the cir cuit of the clutch magnet 70 may be opened. As shown in Fig. 9, the disk 78 has a lug 101 which projects between two adjustable limiting-stops 102, 103 between which it is permitted a slight movement. The actuating member for the stop-switch springs 79 is a belhcrank lever 115 one arm whereof actuates said springs while the other end projects into the path of the lug 101 on the disk 78. A spring 105 causes the bell crank lever normally to push the lug 101 pawl 75 out of coincidence,

backward against'its rearward limiting stop;

The ratchet disk 76 carrying-the pawl 75 is adapted to be held by the (brought into service when holding magnet 91 is excited) so that when the units disk 78 has been moved by pawl 7 5 sufliciently to actuate the clutch-releaseswitclrsprings 79,

said disk 78 is retained in such advanced" position by the pawl 7-5, whether the clutch is on or not. But if under such 0111611111 stances the vernier' disk 73'is given another selecting impulses. The clutch niembers, ;j consisting of friction plates 80, 81, (Fig. ,4)". one or" which is mounted upon the-power.

advance step to throw the notches under the 1, thereby be raised out ofiengagem the teeth of disk 78, permitting to return to normal position under liuence of spring 105, and to restore the eontact springs 79 to normal.

The point at which the notches of and 7 l-will coincide,and consequei stopping point of the brush carrier, termined by the relative posit-ions or said disks, which may be adjusted by means of electromagnetic Step-by-step mechanism responsive to the selecting impulses. In the selector shown, the notches of disk 74% are spaced apart a distance corresponding to ten notches on the disk 78, which form, so to speak, a unitsscale. The notches of disk 73, on the other hand, are spaced apart a d1s-' tance' corresponding to only nine notches or divisions of said units disk 78. in the mechanism shown, the disks 73 and 74c normally rest so that a single independent step disk 73 and a further step of both disks, 7 3 and 7 1 together will bring the notches of all three disks into coincidence at zero, or a point corresponding to the first stationary minal N o. 0 on the selector. In the ope of the system in which this selector is ticularly adapted to be used, the Vernier disk 73 is always intended to take at least one independent step, which would set the point of coincidence one notch back from zero. If then the disk 73 is advanced an additional step equal to one spaceon the units scale,

the first point at which the scales 73 and coincide will be opposite the ninth notch the units scale.

Similarly, an advance of disk 73 through two additional steps from normal making three steps in all will throw the point of coincidenpe tofthe nineteenth notch of the units scale, and so on, each unit of advance of the Vernier disk 73 throwing the point of coincidence a' disl'ance of ten units ahead. If it is desiredtto set u) a coincidence at an intermediate "point, between any given tens divisions and the next, that is accomplished by first advancing the vernler disk 7 3 a number of units stcpssullicient toreach the required bank, oiflens, a's herembefore described, and then advancing both disks 73 and 74 together unit by unit,

par-

until the desired intermediate point is reached. At least one step of both' disks together' is always given. Thus to set the coinciding point at the thirty-fifth notch from zero on: the units disk or scale, the vernier disk .73 would first be advanced four steps (that is, three steps'from zero) throwing the point of coincidence to the twentycoincide at the thirty-fifth notch from zero on the units scale, and no coincidence would occur in advance of that point. By this mechanism a stopping point may thusbe 88 are 'normally=.held out. o

-by means of springs 108 and 109. pawls 87, 88, s

established at a point far distant from the zero positio by relatively slight movements,

of the disks 73 and 74.

The disks 73 and 74 are provided withratchets 83, 84,- respectively, (see Fig. 5) with which the paw-ls 85 and 185 of a stepping magnet 86 are adapted to enga e. The ratchet'disk 83 is mounted upon e sam'e tubulanshaft 106 (see Fi 4) with the 'vernier disk 73, and similar y the ratchet disk 84 is mounted upon a concentric tubular shaft-.107 which carries the vernier disk 74. The disks 73, 74 and their respective ratchets are yieldingly held in their normal ositi'on olding own-most clearly in Figs, 2, 5 and 8, may be thrown into engagement with the ratchets 83, 84-, respectively, to hold the latter in the positions to which they may be advanced. These holding awls 87 and engagement with their ratchets by a stop-screw 110 carried by the armature lever 112 of the holding magnet 91. When said holding magnet is excited the stop screw is withdrawnand the holding pawls permitted to engage their respective ratchets. Thestepping pawl 85 is normally held out of engagement with ratchet 83 by a stop-screw carried byarmature lever 112 of holding magnet 91, but is released and ermitted to engage saidratchet when the ho ding magnet is excited. The other stepping pawl 185 is. normally held out of engagement with ratchet 84 by an arm 113 of the armature lever 114 of a shift magnet 90, said pawl 185 being allowed to engage said ratchet 84-when the shift magnet is excited. Fig. 5 illustrates the relative positions of the parts when the holding magnet 91 alone is excited,-the armature of the shift magnet 90 being unattracted. If the pawl 85 alone is thrown into gear with its ratchet 83, theste magnet will only ad-.

Vance the Vernier dis 73, the other disk 74 being unaffected; but if both stepping pawls 85 and 185 are thrown into engagement with the ratchets 83 and 84, the stepping magnet will then advance both of the Vernier disks 73 and 74 together. By virtue of this construction, it is unnecessary to have separate magnet 90, said step magnet may advance b 't disks 73 and 74 together to give the units divisions.

"The holding magnet ,91 has an armature lever 112 which is adapted to bring into service the holding pawls for all the ratchets of the operating mechanism. As shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 and in the diagram Fig. 1, the armature of the hold-- ing-magnet 91' may also be arranged to op-' erate a set of switch springs, and the unitswheel holding magnet.90 may also operate a set of switch springs. A third set' of switch springs may be controlled by the sheave or carrier-pulley 71, being held in one condition by a stud 82 on said pulley when the latterls in its zero ositlon, and

allowed" to shift when the pu hey-removes said stud in leavingits nomiaLposition.

Another set of springs may besontnelled by the ratchet disk 83, sa' ri being held in one position when the rate et disk is normal, and allowed'to shift-when said ratchet disks-leaves its normal position.

These var-ides switch springs may be used as required to efi'ect such circuit'changes as may be desirable in theisystem with which the selector is to be used. 1

The operation ofthe mechanism will in general be as follows: The holding magnet. 91 will first be energized to attract its arma- 'ture, allowing the-pawl 850i the ste ping inagnetto engage the ratchet 83, an also bringing into service the holding pawls 87 and 88 of ratchets ,83 and 84 and holding pawl 89 of the ratchet disk76 which rotates with the carrier pulley or sheave'71.

The step magnet may now, through the agency of the ratchet S3, advance the Vernier disk 73 the required number of steps to bring the point of coincidence of the notches on disks 73, 74 in the required bank of tens or: longdivisions of the scale. magnet 90 will then be operated to bring The shift the stepping pawl 185 into engagement with ratchet 84, whereupon further actuation .of the stepping magnet will advance both disks 73, .74 together the required number of steps to reath thefintermediate point or units place desired, on the scale. The

stop being thus set, the clutch magnet 70 is then excited, whereby the constantly-rotating shaft 72 is coupled to drive the carrier pulley 71 and raise the brush carrier rod, at the same tlme advancing the pawl 75, carried by disk76, around the periphs cry of the disks 73, 74 and 78'. When this pawl reaches the predetermined point at, which the notches in the three disks coincide, it drops in and moves disk 78 sulficiently to operate the clutch release springs 79 which may be arranged to open the circuit of the magnetic clutch in an obvious manner.. The traveling brush of the selector has thus been moved to, the required point and stopped. If a further movement of the brush is desired, as in hunting for an idle terminal, the stepping magnet may be given a stroke to advance the disk 73 and throw the notches now under the pawl 75 out of coincidence, whereupon the clutch may be thrown on again by the recovery of springs 79, and rotate the carrier pulley to continue the travel of the selector brush until it reaches an idle terminal, whereupon the clutch magnetmay be finally deenergized, leaving the traveling brush of the 'selector in contact with the idle terminal,

which operation, however, since it forms no part of the invention as hereln claimed need not be further described, the mechanismbeing held against return to normal by the holding pawls controlled by the holding magnet 91.-

gized, its armature in recovering will withdraw the'various holding pawls from their ratchets, and allow the whole mechanism to return to normal position.

lVe wish to make reference here to a patent granted to James L. McQuarrie and Ed- Ward B. Craft, No. 949,836, dated February 22, 1910, in which many features of the present invention are disclosed but are not claimed specifically; that patent being directed more broadly toward the general features of a selector switch operated by powerdriven mechanism under control of an electromagnetic stop-setting mechanism of any suitable type, while the present invention relates to the specific mechanism in which two or more controller parts are arranged to act in combination, on the principle of a Vernier or a combination-lock, to seta stop which is determined by a relative adjustment of such parts (and in some cases by a further collective adjustment thereof with reference to other parts). It will be evident, however, that the particular form and na-. ture of such controller-parts may be varied within wide limits without departing from the spirit of this invention.

We claim p v 1. In a selector switch controlling device, the combination with .a plurality of relatively adjustable controller members, of a part having relative movement with respect to said controller memhers and stop means brought into action" by the mechanical cooperation ,of said relatively-movable part withsaid controller members jointly, accordingi-to-jt'heir adjustment.

relatively adjustable controller parts,

ving said stop means.

2. In a selector switch controlling mechan1sm the combination with a plural selectively operated step-by-step lTlQClltU sn for imparting such relative adjustment, and stop means controlled by the relative adjustment of said parts.

3. In a selector controllingmechanism, the combination with relatively-adjustable controlling members "having scales of dificrent length, of selective setting-mechanism for causing relative ad ustment of said parts to determine the coinciding point of'said scal cs, an actuating member adapted to respond to a coincidence of said scales, and means for causing relative movement. of said member with respect to said scales.

4:. A selector switch controlling mecha nism comprising relatively adjustable parts adaptedito act in combination, electromagnetic selective mechanism for setting said controller parts in definite combination, a stop means, and means responsive to the combination of controller parts for actuat- 5. A selector switch controlling mecha- I nism comprising relatively-adjustable stop- "When the holding magnet 91 is 'deenen' said adjustable parts, and means for caus-' ing relative travel of said member with respect to said adjustable part.

7. A selector switch controlling mechanism comprising a stop, a plurality ofstop setting parts, electromagnetic means for causing the relative adjustment of said. step setting parts, and means whereby the relative position of said stop setting parts detel-mines the operative position of said stop.

8. In a switch controlling mechanism, a controlling device having relatively-adjustable juxtaposed parts having openings spaced apart to form difierently divided scales on the respective parts, means for causing relative adjustment of said parts to set the openings in coincidence at different points, and arider adapted to travel with respect to said controller parts and arranged to actuate the device to be controlled, in entering said coinciding openings, whereby said device to be controlled is actuated according to the extent of travel of said rider, determined by the relative adjustment of said controller parts.

9. In a selector switch controlling mechanism, the combination with two rotatable controller disks concentricallymounted side by side, said disks having notches on their edges spaced apart at difierent intervals on the respective disks, eIectrQmagnetic step-bystep mechanism responsive to, selecting im- --pulses for causing relative adjustment of said controller disks, apawl adapted to travel around'the edges of said disks, and stop means actuated by said pawl in engaging coinciding notches of said controller disks. I p i 10. A selector switch controlling mechanism having a controlling part whose adjustment deterlnines long divisions of advance of said switch; a secondcontrolling part, the adjustment of both parts together determining short divisions of advance of said 15, switch, a stepmagne-t and shift mechanism -a'dapted alternatively" to cause one of said parts or both parts together to be actuated by said step magnet, v

' llIA selector switch controlling mechanism'ha'ving two controlling parts whose adjustment relatively to each otherdetermines long divisions of advance of said switch, and Whose collective adjustment determines short divisions of advance thereof, a step-magnet,

ratchet mechanism operated thereby for advancing one of said partsindependently, a shift-magnet and ratchet mechanism brought into action thereby for permitting said step- 'magnet to advance both parts in unison.

12. A selector switch controlling mechanism having two controlling parts and means governed jointly thereby according to the positions of said parts for determining the operation of saidswitch, an independent ad.-

Vance of one part serving to determine long divisions of advance of said switch and an advance ofboth parts together determining further short divisions ofadvance of said switch, a;-stepping electromagnet, step-bystep mechanism actuated thereby for advancing one of said controlling parts, a shift magnet, and step-by-step mechanism brought into action by said shift magnet to permit said stepping magnet to advance both controlling parts'together. 1

' 13.- Iii a switch controlling mechanism the combination with relatively-adjustable controller-disks arranged side by side, said disks being notched at intervals around their peripheries, the intervals-between the notches being different upon the respective disks, a

pawl, arranged to ride around the edges of said disks, and to entei the first coinciding notches therein, a stop-disk arranged beside notches said controller disks and havin adapted to be engaged by said paw in entering coinciding notches at any point around said controller disks, and a stop-switch actuated by said stop-disk when the same is engaged said pawl.

14. A selector switch controlling mechanism comprising a stopping switch a controlling device comprising relatively-adjustable jnxta'posed parts having openings spaced apart to form 'difi'erently-divided scales on the respective parts, electromagnetic selective mechanism for causing relative adjustment of said parts to set the openings thereof in coincidence at definite points, a rider arranged to travel along said juxtaposed controller parts and to enter said openings at the first point ofcoincidenoe.

thereof, and means actuated by said rider in entering such coinciding openings for operating said stopplng switch.

,15. In a selector switch controlling mechanism, the combination with a'shaft, rotatable Vernier controller wheels mounted side by side upon independent sleeves concentric with said shaft, said-wheels having peripheral notches at differently-spaced intervals, a ratchet carried by'eacli of said sleeves for operating the respective controller wheels,

electromagnetic stepping mechanism for ad'- vancing one or both of said ratchets, a pawl moving with said shaft adapted to travel around the edges of said controller wheels and toenter the first co nciding notches, and a stop wheel mounted beside said controller wheels and having a toothed periphery adapted to be engaged by said pawl when the latter enters coinciding notches of said controller wheels, and stop means actuated by said stop-wheel when the latter is engaged In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this thirtieth day of December A. D., 1907.

EDWARD B. CRAFT.

I AMOS F. DIXON.

Witnesseszf v,

' CLARENCE G. S'roLL, JOHN J. LYNG.

i I i i Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

